UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall says he has not been invited to attend UFC Freedom 250 cageside, despite the interim heavyweight title fight on that card expected to determine his next opponent.
Alex Pereira is scheduled to fight Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title at UFC Freedom 250, which takes place June 14, 2026, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebration. The winner is expected to unify the belt against Aspinall.
Asked about attending the event, Aspinall said, "No, they’ve not asked me [to come]. No one’s asked me yet," and later added, "To be honest, I’ve never really thought about it until you asked me. No, I don’t feel disrespected. [UFC] should come to me, I feel. I’d be there, I’d be there; if they asked me, I’d be there for sure. If they asked me, I would definitely go."
Aspinall confirmed his interest in being cageside, saying, "There’s no excuses, I would. I have nothing to say otherwise, I would like to. I’m gonna watch it from home anyway, so if you’re there, it’s gonna be even better, isn’t it?"
Looking ahead, Aspinall said, "I’ve got a lot of unfinished business," and referenced both potential opponents: "Like, me and Gane have got to get this rematch going, and then if I can get a massive fight like a Pereira fight as well, that’s ideal." Michael Bisping has commented on Aspinall’s situation, saying "something weird is going on."
